Ever get one of those ideas that you cannot seem to get out of your head? This adventure started with one such idea. Specifically, it was one of the encounters from the Wyrdback post. I did not understand what about this concept let it live rent-free in my head for a few weeks; maybe it was the sheer absurdity of a spy convention being held at one of the campgrounds my family used to vacation at when I was a kid. But I decided to run with the concept as far as I could using the lessons I learned from reading the great OSR blogs, and boy, this concept really delivered. I hope you enjoy.

Background

Eugene Paxton has many problems, most of which a band of heroic adventurers cannot solve.

A year ago, he was little more than the proprietor of a struggling general store and the owner of a battered pickup truck on a lonely stretch of road outside Green Hollow State Park and the Camp Evergreen Summer camp in northern Vermont. Winters there were long and cold, with few visitors save his wife Janet, his adult but dim-witted son Eugene Paxton Jr. (the handyman for Camp Evergreen), the park rangers, and the occasional motorist lost en route to more prominent destinations.

Then the whimwhirl struck. It swept Eugene, his family, and their corner of the park into the Feengrenze, stranding them in a remote river valley between the Petty Kingdom of Drumbane and the Barony of Saint Cirelle, miles from the nearest village. The park rangers were the first to realize the truth. They left at once to seek civilization and never returned.

For months, Eugene tried to make the best of it. With a store full of stock and a slightly rundown summer camp, he dreamed of turning his unexpected “estate” into a holiday camp for the nobility and idle rich. But there was one small problem: he was in the middle of nowhere.

Six months later, the dream was crumbling. Junior had finished patching up Camp Evergreen, but no one came. The only road out was a mile-long stretch of blacktop that led nowhere.

That’s when Máirtín “the Fixer” Donnacha and his cousin Fiachra “the Reed” Donnacha appeared. Both were operatives of the Manyrevel Associates, a freelance intelligence guild that doubled as a front for the Donnacha Syndicate’s sideline in espionage, extortion, and wetwork. They had cooked up a scheme: host an “international spy convention,” lure rival agents from across Tir na Caillte and beyond, and trick them into assassinating each other — while the Associates quietly raked in money from booth fees, betting pools, and bribes.

What they needed was a secluded venue. By chance, they heard rumors in a nearby hamlet of some fool trying to open a hunting lodge in the wilderness. Disguised as rich, foppish weekend warriors, the Fixer and the Reed let slip that they were looking for a venue for an “outdoorsmen’s show.”

They barely had to try. When Paxton Sr. heard about it from Junior, he sprinted to their inn, begged them to use his land, and offered every cabin, campfire pit, and square foot of meadow he had.

Four months later, two weeks into autumn, Paxton’s Crossing is a small hamlet: the road has been extended north to the High Road between New Mountainheart and Rosenberg, and south to the Barony of Saint Cirelle. A scattering of new buildings has sprung up around the general store. Most importantly, Camp Evergreen Holiday Camp has officially reopened — and outdoorsmen and “outdoorsmen” of every description are pouring in for the great convention.

Of course, most of them aren’t here for fishing tips.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

The adventure begins as the players travel south along the new road in the early morning. It is the sort of fine fall day New England is known for: perfectly calm, crisp weather, and the trees starting to show their color. It should be heavily implied that they stayed the night in one of the cabins farther out from town and are heading into town for breakfast at the diner, or are in fact here for the convention, unaware of the event’s true nature.

 Once they enter town, read the following.

The forest breaks into a clearing of clapboard cabins clustered around a two-story general store with a red coat of paint and a long porch. Beside it, a diner smells of coffee and bacon. Outdoorsy folk lounge on the porch, mugs in hand. An elven woman in a flannel waves you down.

The woman: An elf woman of indeterminate age in a flannel shirt, blue jeans, and well-worn hiking boots. Her green hair is in a ponytail, and her eyes sparkle like emeralds.

• Once the women get the players’ attention, she rush over and ask them where they have been. She tells them, “I have been waiting for you pups to arrive; I was afraid you would miss the convention, and no New Mountainheartian Wolf Club member would miss something like this.”
  • She introduces herself as Clara Dunn, senior member of the club and their “hunting instructor.” 
  • She asks if they are hungry, and then she and her two associates, a human named Kellan and a halfling named Carl, corral them into Janet’s café with the prospect of getting breakfast, insisting that it’s her treat.
• Clara Dunn is a field trainer for the New Mountainheartian intelligence service, aka the Eyes of the Wolf. She was sent here with orders to meet with a few rookie agents (pups) for hands-on field training at the convention. She has not met her trainees before, but she has descriptions of said agents that are near matches for the players. 
• If the players insist that they are just adventurers, and she has the wrong people, she will whisper to them about having an outstanding cover story and to keep it up. Besides, they need to talk, and it’s unsafe to talk out here; the trees have ears.
• If the players try to make a getaway, she assumes they spotted something she did not and makes herself scarce. She tries to reunite with them later.

Outdoorsy folk: The outdoorsmen are a mix of locals and convention attendees.

• If the player succeeds on a DC 14 Perception check, they notice that roughly half the guys on the porch are flashing them covert glances as if they are sizing them up.
• A DC 12 insight check reveals something about the hunters staring at them; they seem to be acting like bad cosplay of outdoorsy types.
• If the players try to make a getaway, 1d6 of the outdoorsmen (spies) follow them and seek to ambush them. 

Mission Briefing over Pancakes

Read the following aloud.

The inside of Janet’s cafe is crowded and loud with men and women of various species in denim, flannel, and leather, sitting on stools at a low bar and in booths along the long, thin dining room’s wall, all lit by bright white glowing bulbs. Colorful posters of scenic-sounding places you’ve never heard of line the walls. Clara and her two associates maneuver you towards a corner booth and squeeze you into it. A waitress in a plain-looking dress and blouse hands you a menu printed on a thin piece of cardstock.

Janet’s cafe: The diner is packed with people at the counter and every booth. It is so noisy that nobody can hear anything more than a few feet away. Thus, it is the perfect place for a discreet conversation. 

• If the players try to listen in on the sea of conversations, they only get snippets of conversation that, without context, sound like talk about hunting.
• There are 1d12 serious outdoorsmen (use the scout or thug stat block), 1d10 weekend warrior types(use the noble stat block), and 1d20 commoners. There are 1d20+d12 spies spread among the crowd.
  • Ironically, almost every spy is eavesdropping on the others, even though it’s too noisy to hear anything.
  • If a fight breaks out in the diner, like one of the spies trying for an early assassination or gets too nosy, the outdoorsmen will try to pin the attackers down. In round two, Paxton Sr bursts through the door with his shotgun, threatening to pump the perpetrator full of lead.
    • It’s a bluff; he does not want to waste his few remaining shotgun shells on a random stranger. A DC 10 insight check reveals this fact; however, it works, and the fight immediately ceases.

Clara: Clara comes off as a Girl Scout den mother who was a Girl Scout in her youth and got every last merit badge. She is at home in the woods and treats the players like children. She also has a thing for wolf metaphors.

She does not like to talk about her personal life on the job, but admits that she has kids, including a few about the players’ ages.

• Before the players can say a single word, Clara puts her hands down and says, “Alright, recruits. You know why you’re here.”
  • If the players respond with no or blank stares at her initial question, she compliments them on their acting and tells them they are nailing the bit. Once it becomes clear they do not know what’s happening, she sighs and grumbles about the boss not briefing the pups, giving them the following briefing.
    Alright, pups, here is the situation: there is an outdoorsmen convention at the camp the local headman owns, hunting, fishing, trapping, and all that sort of stuff. But that is a cover story; it’s a spy convention in disguise. The people in this joint? Only 40% are serious outdoorsmen or wealthy weekend warrior fops. The rest are spies. You were sent to me to learn some basic wilderness field craft while soaking in some of the knowledge from the panels and workshops, and helping my associates flush out some foreign agents. Don’t look at me like that. We are the eyes of the wolf; after all, my pups, it’s our job to be on the job even when nobody expects us to do it.
  • After the briefing, she gives the players their convention badges with (humorous) false names written upon them, a program with a camp map, and their code phrase for contacting their fellow members, “The sap runs thick this year.” 
  • She also introduces them to her cover as one of the experts running the workshops. They will attend every one of her workshops, or they will be sorry. She also pays for breakfast and tells them to meet her at the convention orientation in an hour. Until then, they can explore the hamlet but should watch their backs.
• If the players can convince Clara, either through words or skill checks or messing up their code phrases and agency protocol, that she did, in fact, mistake them for somebody else, she will become incredibly sheepish and apologize for the mix-up; however, she thinks the damage is already done.
  • She fears she might have outed herself with that little display outside the diner and implicated the players as “club” members. They may not be her pups, but nobody else will believe that now. They all have a target on her back, and plenty of willing knives are ready to do the stabbing.
  •  She asks the players if they are willing to stick around and pretend to be her recruits; she’s sure “Cousin Freddy” can make it worthwhile, and who knows, they might learn a thing or two.
  • If the players refuse the offer and skip town, Clara will barely survive the bloodbath at the end of the convention. The players will find her dying by the road, returning to Drumbane. She will ask them to deliver her mission report to her boss back in Sliberberg.

Associates: If Clara has not introduced the players, she introduces her associates as Kellan and Carl after settling the players in for breakfast.

• Kellan: Kellan is a slick human man with a pencil-thin mustache. He wears what he thinks is typical mountain man attire: brand-new boots, jeans, and a flannel jacket. He is uncomfortable out here in the sticks, generally standoffish with Clara and the players, and avoids talking unless talked to.
  • Kellan sees this whole affair as a means to get a quick promotion back home and is very impatient for the convention to start so he can snoop around and return to the city.
  • Kellan admits that, unlike Clara, he is not an outdoorsman and got lost on the way here.
• Carl: A round little halfling in both body and face with brown hair and no other distinguishing features. He comes off as a slob more interested in food than spycraft.
  • His slob persona is a cover; he is actually a damn good sniper and lookout.
  • He is also erotically attracted to projectile weaponry, and his attraction to a given weapon is directly proportional to its range and damage.
  • He spends the breakfast stuffing his face and having erotic fantasies about getting his hands on one of the hunting rifles in the store. He also bemoans that he does not have enough money to buy one.

Menu: The menu includes classic diner food, such as pancakes, French toast, eggs, and bacon.

Paxton Crossing

Paxton Crossing is the image of the one-horse hamlets found in the backcountry of northern Vermont, New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts, and Maine. Just two dozen buildings surround the general store and the holiday camp in the middle of nowhere. It is a seemingly perfect place to hold a covert convention of spies.

The store

It’s a stereotypical general store, like those still found on the roadside in western Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire.

• There are 1d20 outdoorsmen in the shop at any given time, and there is a one-in-four chance that one of them is a spy.
• The players can find pieces of every set of tools in the players’ handbook, except alchemists’ and jewelers’ tools, rations, and other basic supplies one would expect to find in an American general store. See Player’s Handbook for prices.
• There is also a small gun rack where half a dozen hunting rifles are for sale, but no ammo.
•  Paxton Sr keeps his shotgun under the counter with his supply of 60 shotgun shells.
• There is a locked combination safe in the back room. Opening the safe requires a DC 15 Sleight of Hand check. The safe contains 50gp in random coinage and the deed to the store.
• A gun locker is in the shop’s second-floor living area. Opening the locker requires a DC 18 Sleight of Hand check. It contains a hunting rifle, a pistol, and 500 rounds of ammo for both the rifle and the pistol (his entire remaining stock of ammo).

The Diner

A typical local eatery, like you still see in many places in New England, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• See Player’s Handbook for prices.
• There are 1d20+10 people in the diner at any given time, 1d8 are spies.
• Serves ale and hard apple cider after 4 pm.

Cabins

2 dozen clapboard cabins along the town’s two streets that serve as the residence of the Paxtons’ employees

• 1 in 4 chance that somebody is home
• Each contains 1d10gp in belongings

The garage

A small garage behind the store. 

• The garage contains a complete set of tinker tools, carpenters’ tools, leather workers’ tools, and some of the pieces of smiths’ tools. 
• The garage also includes the Paxtons’ pickup truck and 8 jerry cans filled with homemade ‘biofuel’

The still

There is still out behind the store in a recently constructed shed, where Paxton Sr is trying to make biofuel. 

• There are 1d4 barrels of alcohol in the shed, 200 proof.
  • Anyone who drinks the stuff will be poisoned; DC 18 constitution check or lose 1d6 hit points, and will be blacked out drunk within a few minutes. 
  • It can be used as an antiseptic or fuel for the old pickup in the garage
• There are also several bags of grain in the barn

The barn

Actually, a large stable.

• There are 2d20 horses in the barn and a large wagon

The First Annual “Outdoorsmen” Jamboree

On the surface, the Outdoorsmen Jamboree is no different from any other sportsmen’s convention; there are booths, panels, and workshops, and plenty of denim and flannel-dressed men and women among oaks and maples that are starting to turn yellow and crimson. However, nothing here is as it seems. Among the true outdoorsy folk, there are spies, assassins, and criminal gamblers betting on who among the former will die first, half the vendors are hawking disguised weaponry and gadgets, and half the panels are cleverly disguised seminars on wilderness spycraft. The mafiosos running the whole thing are quietly collect a small fortune in bribes, bets, and fees in their base in the abandoned ranger station.

Timeline of events (assuming the players do nothing)

The following is a timeline of events if the players do not intervene in any way, shape, or form. Assume things will change if the players get nosy or try to intervene. Details on the events will follow the timeline.

Day 1 

• The jamboree officially begins with Eugene Paxton Sr giving a lengthy speech and cutting the ribbon to camp Evergreen holiday with Máirtín and Fiachra. The speech is mostly self aggrandizing but covertly out two important rules
  • The ranger station is off limits
  • THere is to be no killing at the convention
•  There is a one-hour orientation/meet and greet before the first event starts
• Events

• 10:00 – 11:30 Basic Fire-Building
• 10:00 – 11:30 Introduction to fly fishing/advanced fly fishing.
• 10:00 – 11:30 Poisonous Flora of the Silver Highlands
• 11:30 – 1:00 Signals in the Field
• 11:30 – 1:00 Survival basics
• 11:30 – 1:00 Camp Cooking with Wild Herbs
• 2:00 – 3:30 Archery competition in the meadow
• 2:00 – 3:30 Orienteering workshop in the woods.
• 2:00 – 3:30 Wilderness marksmen
• 3:30 – 5:00 Whitewater Canoeing for Beginners
• 3:30 – 5:00 Basic camouflage. 
• Night
  • Campfire Cookout in the main pavilion of the camp
  • Kellan tries to sneak into the ranger station while everybody is at the cookout.
  • Kellan is killed by Máirtín and  Fiachra’s men and dumped in the river

Day Two

• Junior finds Kellan’s body in the river at first light. A fake healer brought in by Máirtín and Fiachra pronounces the cause as the result of a bear attack in blatantly obvious cover-up.
• Paranoia spreads among the participants over who broke the no-killing rule
• Multiple spies disappear during the day, and there are several near-fatal accidents.
• Events
  • 9:00 – 16:00 Fly-fishing tournaments
  • 9:00 – 10:20 Wilderness catalog workshop
  • 10:00 – 11:30 Editable flora of the Silver Highlands
  • 10:00 – 11:00 Knife and ax-throwing tutorials and competition. 
  • 11:00 – 12:00 Basic field medicine.
  • 11:00 – 12:30 Field Dressing Game
  • 1:00 – 2:45 Panel on hunting and stalking techniques
  • 1:00 – 2:30 Improvising traps
  • 2:00 – 4:00 Canoe race
  • 2:00 – 3:30 Creating hunting blinds
  • 3:00 – 5:00 Long-term survival in the Sliber Highlands
• Evening
  • The missing spies are found
  • Paxton urges calm, but everybody is freaked out; nobody will sleep tonight.

Day three

Morning

• Máirtín, Fiachra, the gamblers, and their goons flee the town to the ranger station to watch the final conflagration.
• Máirtín and  Fiachra’s thugs attack several tents of the spies, filling their tent with crossbow bolts and Molotov cocktails..
• All hell breaks loose.
  • Paxton and family hold up in the store, with Paxton using his rifle to fend off any attackers.
  • Clara is stabbed and manages to get out of town on a stolen horse. She dies a few hours later after failing some field surgery on herself and filling out a report of the massacre and a note asking to return the message to an address in Sliberberg and deliver her farewell note to her kids.

Orientation, Disinformation, and a lesson in observation

When you think the time to start the convention has come, read the following.

You hear the trumpet sound, and everybody in town starts to flow towards the meadow where the tents are set up.

Regardless of whether the players are curious about what’s going on, Clara and her fellow agents intercept them. Whether or not she believes the players are her recruits, she herds her pups towards the gathering just in time for Paxton Sr to give his speech. If she knows that the players are not her recruits, she leans into the mama wolf persona even harder, with nervousness in her voice (If you have not revealed that she is old enough to have adult children, you should make the players wonder how old Clara is, since treating them like kids comes so naturally to her).
When the players arrive in the meadow, read the following aloud.

A pot-bellied, middle-aged man in blue jeans, a flannel shirt, a leather vest with lots of pockets, and a hunting cap steps onto the stage with two others, both saytrs, one is dressed similarly to the man but with a few foppish accessories, the other in high fashion with only token accommodations to the outdoorsy nature of the event. The man with the pot-belly clears his voice and shouts, “Greetings and welcome to the first annual Paxton’s Crossing Outdoor Jamboree,” Before descending into a speech filled with pleasantries and platitudes. You can feel the eye roll that Clara did.

Speech: Paxton’s 19-minute speech is 15 minutes too long and mainly consists of him introducing his associates, Mr Máirtín and Fiachra, patting himself on the back, and endorsing the virtues of his camp and store. At the end, he awkwardly shifts into a list of rules and announcements clearly written by someone else.

• There are to be no weapons drawn in the meadow or the campground
• The trail up to the ranger station is closed due to the presence of an owlbear lairing in the ranger station
• There is to be no conflict among the participants of the convention of any sort (this is a coded message stating that there is to be no killing at the convention)
• The vendors open at 10 am and close at 5 pm
• There is a schedule of events for today.

After the speech, his two partners walk onto the stage with a giant pair of scissors to cut the ribbon.

Clara: During the speech and the 45 minutes of mingling before the events start, Clara stays close to the players. She points out four seemingly random people in the crowd and asks the players to tell her everything they observe about them and guess if they are spies. If the players get 2 out of the four right, they have an advantage on perception and insight checks to spot spies for the rest of the adventure. If they get all four wrong, Clara looks visibly concerned about her pup’s training and will stick to them like glue for the rest of the adventure.

1. An older bald Asian man in jeans, a plain white shirt covering most of his torso, and a set of prayer beads carries a simple sack over his shoulder. Inside are a collapsible 6-foot-long walking pole, a longbow, a quiver, and a rope with a pair of metal weights attached.
   1. 6-foot-long walking pole: A 6-foot-long, one inch wide wooden pole
      1. Perception 10: The pole looks more like a quarterstaff than a walking stick or fishing rod
   2. Prayer Beads: A chain of simple clay beads on a string
      1. An Insight or religion check, DC 12, notes that the beads are Zen Buddhist prayer beads and that Zen Buddhists are almost all vegans, so one being a hunter is strange to say the least. 
   3. Rope with a a pair of metal weights: a 10-foot long length of rope with a pair of orange-sized weights at the end, coiled within reach of the man’s right hand.
      1. The implement is a meteor hammer.
   4. Simple sack: More duffle than sack, actually
      1. Perception check 10 notes that how he has packed the equipment is unnatural. 
      2. A Perception check 14 spots a corner of something made of saffron orange colored fabric peeking out the top.
   5. Bald: The man’s head is shaven.
      1. Perception check 17: The players spot that he has covered up a spot on the front of his forehead with makeup, right where Zen monks would have their jieba. 
   6. White shirt: The shirt is a novelty t-shirt emblazoned with the logo for Smugglers Notch, a tag is still plainly visible on the sleave.
      1. The man does not have any form of coat, which is strange given the weather
      2. Perception check 12 notes that he is surprisingly well-toned for his age. 
   7. Right conclusion: The man is a warrior monk from Shambhala and one of the spies.
2. A human man in a disheveled Robin Hood-esque hunting outfit, with disheveled hair, a thin mustache, and an ungodly number of pouches and items hanging from his belt. Among the items are a crossbow, a long sword, a heater shield, and a dagger. The man struggles to move under that weight and produces an audible clank when he does. He politely but tersely declines interaction with the others.
   1. Disheveled Robin Hood-esque hunting outfit: The bright green outfit is disheveled and ill-fitting
      1. Insight check 10 notes that the man seemingly did not know how to put on his clothes.
      2. Perception check 12 notes that his outfit is brand new and appears to be made of fine silk. 
   2. long sword: An ornate longsword in a fine scabbard
      1. Perception check DC 15, the player spots a ruby at the point where the crossguard meets the blade.
   3. heater shield: A simple heater shield with a bright white field
      1. Perception check DC 15 allows the players to note that the paint on the shield is fresh, poorly applied, and covering what appears to be a heraldic device.
   4. an ungodly number of pouches and items: Everything a hunter might need, and many he may not hang from hooks and pouches on the man’s person
      1. The items include a wineskin, canteen, several knives, a quiver of arrows, a lantern, his sword, shield, and dagger, pouches with ill-packed rations, and other items
      2. Insight check DC 12. The players get a sense that the man should be wearing a backpack, but choose not to for some reason. 
   5. Audible clank: There is a subtle but clearly audible clanking sound when he man moves
      1. Perception check 16 allows the players to spot the chain mail under the old-timey hunting clothes. 
   6. Declines interaction with the others: The man actively tries not to stand too close to the other attendees and politely declines.
      1. Perception check DC 14: It’s hard to spot, but when the man declines the conversation, he curses about filthy peasants under his breath.
      2. Insight check 16 The man’s behavior shows contempt for those around him, as though he is of a higher station.
   7. The man is not a spy but a nobleman weekend warrior from Lyonnesse attending the jamboree incognito, without servants, and struggling to adapt.
3. A battle-scarred hobgoblin woman in jeans, a flannel coat, and an oversized backpack among a crowd of other goblinoids. Dozens of bear traps and several hatchets hang from the bag.
   1. Scars: Long jagged scars stretch from cheek to ear on the left side of the hobgoblin’s face
      1. Medicine 12, the scars on her face and body look like slashes from knives or other edged weaponry. 
   2. Hatchets: Four hatchets hang from the backpack on loops for easy access
      1. Perception 14: The hatchets have dried blood on them
   3. Backpack: Packed far too neatly for the bulk.
      1. Perception DC 12: Each item is placed for easy draw in a hurry, more like a soldier’s kit than a hunter’s.
   4. Traps: traps of all descriptions, from bare traps to snares
      1. Intelligence 16, the traps do not look right; you cannot put your finger on it, but they seem to be meant for humans, not animals. 
   5. Correct answer: The hobgoblin is a spy for Dun Dungath.
4. A centaur in a leather jacket with saddlebags slung over his back, not socializing with anybody. Dozens of plants hang from the saddlebags, a spear is strung across his back, and he has a quiver of javelins.
   1. Plants: Various types of dried plants
      1. Nature DC 14: The plants hanging from the bag are all poisonous. 
   2. Spear: A long spear with a counterweight and a sharp 3 foot 3-foot-long tip and crossbar
      1. Intelligence DC 12. The spear looks more like a lance than a hunting spear
      2. Perception DC 16. The crossbar is a recent addition to the spear, the weld job is very poor
   3. Javelins: Quiver containing a dozen javelins
      1. Perception DC 12: The javelins in the quiver do not look right for hunting; the heads are too big and narrow, like a Roman pilum.  
   4. Jacket: A leather sleeveless jacket, undyed with rawhide stitching
      1. Perception DC 16, the coat has metal plates stitched inside that subtly clank when he moves.
   5. Body Language: He avoids mingling, standing at the edge of groups, ears flicking often.
      1. Insight DC 12: He’s alert, watching patterns and exits.

6. Correct Conclusion: The centaur is a freelance spy.

5. A 10-year-old boy with an overstuffed backpack, standing beside a man who looks like his stepfather. From the pack spilled a net, two fishing poles, a walking stick, a child-sized bow, and a forest of arrows poking out at odd angles. The boy beams excitedly, while the man looks uncomfortable and lightly equipped.
   1. Backpack: Nearly as big as the boy, sagging with poor packing.
      1. Perception DC 10: It’s overstuffed with mismatched gear, clearly packed by the boy without help.
      2. Perception DC 14: Most of the gear is secondhand or handmade — not spy equipment.
   2. Fishing Gear: Net and two poles sticking out awkwardly.
      1. Nature DC 12: The poles are child-sized but functional; this is genuine fishing kit.
         
   3. Walking Stick & Bow: Both appear simple and homemade.
      1. Perception DC 12: The bowstring is frayed, and the arrows have poorly cut fletching.
   4. The Boy: Excitable, chatty, and obviously proud of his gear.
      1. Insight DC 10: His enthusiasm is genuine; he’s not hiding anything.
   5. The Man (Stepfather): He doesn’t resemble the boy. He has barely any outdoor gear, just a worn belt knife.
      1. Insight DC 14: He seems uneasy about being here, more preoccupied with keeping the boy safe than spying.
   6. Conclusion: The boy is not a spy — just a kid eager to fish. The man is his stepfather, a reluctant chaperone.
6. A rail-thin 18-year-old boy with no shoes and ragged clothes, clutching a 7-foot-long pole and a bucket. He wears a big goofy grin and watches the crowd with wide-eyed curiosity.
   1. Clothes: Tattered, patched, and caked with dirt.
      1. Perception DC 10: These are genuine hand-me-downs, not a disguise.
      2. Insight DC 12: He seems too poor to afford proper gear, not too clever to fake it.
   2. No Shoes: Feet are calloused, dirty, and scarred.
      1. Medicine DC 12: Suggests years of going barefoot, not someone “in disguise.”
   3. The Pole: A rough, uneven sapling shaved down.
      1. Perception DC 12: Clearly a makeshift fishing pole, not a weapon.
      2. Intelligence DC 14: Its length makes it impractical for anything except reaching into water or poking around brush.
   4. The Bucket: Empty, dented tin pail with rust around the rim.
      1. Perception DC 10: It smells faintly of fish and river water.
   5. The Boy’s Demeanor: Wide grin, goofy laughter, eager to talk about fishing holes and river bends.
      1. Insight DC 10: His giddy excitement is genuine, bordering on simple-mindedness.
   6. Conclusion: Not a spy — just a local youth curious about the spectacle, probably planning to fish after gawking.

Other Spies: During the orientation, the other spies look at the players, seemingly sizing them up. Whenever the players’ eyes wander, they spot somebody quickly looking away. If the players try to mingle with the spies, they quickly move away, seemingly scared off by Clara’s mama wolf act.

Vendor Pavilion

A grid of tents where bright-eyed, colorful characters are selling gear occupies the meadow outside the holiday camp. The booths open after the meet-and-greet. Roughly half the vendors sell outdoor wear, fishing and hunting supplies, and the other half sell cleverly disguised spy gear. There is a 50/50 chance that any booth is selling spy gear and a 100% chance that haggling will be involved.

Spy gadget vendor table

d8	Vendor	items
1	A gnome with wild hair	Longbows disguised as a fishing rods and fully functional as fishing rods.
2	Nervous-looking dwarf	Armored outdoor wear with thick leather and steel plates
3	Wirey elf women	Compact poisoner’s kits disguised as lanterns
4	Beefy Orc Women	A variety of weapons disguised as woodsmen’s axes and other tools
5	Drow in sunglasses	Poisoned herbal candles
6	Centaur with a big backpack	A variety of oils and lotions with “interesting” effects and side effects
7	A goblin wearing a Gilly suit that makes him look like a walking bush with a nose	Camouflage of various types, ranging from face paint to full gilly suits
8	A man dressed as a tree in a trench coat costume	Woodland environment costumes, including tree suits, animal costumes, and fake rocks.
9	Fire singed hobgoblin	Explosives concealed as camp fuel and candles
10	Three kobolds in a trench coat	Traps, everything from bear traps to diy pit and dart trap kits

There is also a food tent that, in a morose sense of humor, has titled itself as Unpoisoned Food. The players can buy grilled meat and small wooden bowls of beans, stew, and corn bread for 1 to 5 sp.

The Muscle.

Donnacha Clan enforcers(use the tough and tough boss stat blocks) are disguised as event staff and random hunters everywhere on the convention grounds. They seek to prevent the convention goers from entering the camp’s cabin complex (where the gamblers are staying) or the ranger station(Where they are running the show) under the pretense that the former is being used for storage and the latter leads straight to an owlbear’s lair. Otherwise, they are sizing up the convention goers and standing around menacingly. There is a 1 in 6 chance that any event the players participate in will have one or two enforcers hanging about nearby, being ominous and whispering among themselves.

Ominous foretelling

As the first day wears on, you can drop ominous hints that something is off, well, more off than a spy convention that is thinly disguised as an outdoorsmen convention. When you feel like the players would pick up such ominous hints, roll or pick from this table of cryptic hints and messages

d8	hint
1	Donnacha Clan enforcers are whispering to each other about a bet over which outdoorsmen will be the first to go.
2	The players see one of the Donnachas carrying a heavy sack up the path towards the ranger station, which supposedly is the lair of an owlbear. There is a rip in the bag through which something shiny gleams
3	The players encounter a crude, non-functional booby trap in a surprising place, but the event staff dismisses it as a prank gone wrong.
4	The players noticed somebody was watching them from a poorly concealed position, using a spyglass and taking notes. Could it be one of the convention attendees or one of Donnachas’ goons?
5	They witness some well-dressed people disappear while traveling in the general direction of the camp’s cabin complex.
6	There is a commotion as somebody is injured during one of the workshops, and the accounts of the accident are suspicious
7	The players witness some equipment fail in a humorous and slightly embarrassing way for the one wielding it. Was it sabotage?
8	Some gear has disappeared from one of the special vendor booths.

First day events

The first events start after the meet-and-greet part of the convention. The players can attend any panel or workshop they want, unless they fail Clara’s observation game, in which case they will be forced to participate in her wilderness survival and orienting workshop, with her literally dragging the players to the events. Each event is designed to quickly conclude at the table, usually without skill checks, giving the players something for their trouble. Feel free to sprinkle in results from the previous table when the opportunity arises.

10:00 – 11:30: Basic Fire-Building

A beginner-friendly course on the essential survival skill of lighting a fire outdoors. There are a few spies among the workshop participants, but all of them seem to be thoroughly wet behind the ears.

• Any character that completes the workshop can light a fire without a tinderbox. Furthermore, they can build a fire to prevent it from being extinguished by rain or wind.

10:00 – 11:30: Introduction to fly fishing/advanced fly fishing.

Two courses are being held simultaneously, a few hundred feet apart. There are no spies here; they are just outdoorsmen and not quite outdoorsmen yet.

This is a good place to introduce a fishing mini-game to your table. Any character that completes the workshops gains one of the following:

• The ability to collect 1d4 rations worth of food via fishing in a river
• Advantage on checks made to fish

10:00 – 11:30: Poisonous Flora of the Silver Highlands

A course covering various poisonous plants and mushrooms of the Silver Highlands and their effects. There is a suspicious number of non-outdoorsmen participating in the seminar.

• Any player who completes the course gains the ability to make a DC 15 nature check to collect enough poisonous plants to create 1d4 doses of basic poison. They make the check with advantage if they are proficient in nature skills.

11:30 – 1:00 Signals in the Field

Held deep in the woods under the guise of a nature hike, this cleverly disguised course covers covert message transmission and dead drops. None of the non-spies seems to notice this.

• Any player who completes the course can leave simple encoded messages in the form of marks on trees, broken branches, and other signs. Anyone who has the same course will be able to interpet the signs.

11:30 – 1:00 Survival basics

Clara’s first workshop of the day covers the basics of surviving out in the wilderness.

• Any player who completes the course gains advantage on checks to perform basic survival tasks, such as pitching tents, finding shelter, or finding safe sources of water

11:30 – 1:00 Camp Cooking with Wild Herbs

A surprisingly popular course on identifying wild herbs and applying them to food.

• Players who complete the workshop can now make a DC 15 nature check to gain advantage on any check with cook’s tools, so long as they are in the forests of the SLiber highlands. 

2:00 – 3:30 Archery competition in the meadow

An archery contest is being held in the meadow with a valuable prize.

• Any participating player has three shots at hitting the target. The goal is to score as many points as possible by hitting the bands on the target. The bands have the following AC and point value.

AC	value
10	1
12	2
14	3
16	4
18	5
20	6
22	7

• Note that the players do not have to target each band directly; they only need to attack the target, with the value of the attack roll determining the score for the shot.
• If one of the players manages to score more than 10, they win an all-expenses-paid trip to Manyrevel (the person who wins the prize also gained a target on their back; the Donnachas have no intention of paying out the award unless the target is obviously rich)

2:00 – 3:30 Orienteering workshop in the woods.

Clara’s second workshop of the day was about how not to lose your way when trying to get lost, a surprisingly essential skill in espionage in the great outdoors.

• As part of the workshop and their espionage lessons, Clara leads them into the woods and forces the players to return to the convention with only a compass and a map. The players must make a DC 20 survival check to get their bearings, or they will walk around in circles for an hour before attempting the skill again with the DC reduced by 1.
  • Continue until the players succeed or they fail six times, and Clara gets worried enough to find them.
• Players who complete the course now make all nature checks to navigate with advantage. 

2:00 – 3:30 Wilderness marksmen

An introductory workshop on crossbow hunting, strangely popular given how many people brought hand crossbows to the workshop.

• Players who complete the course gain proficiency with heavy and light crossbows regardless of their class

3:30 – 5:00 Whitewater Canoeing for Beginners

A course on how to safely navigate a canoe through less-than-ideal waterways

• Players who complete the course gain proficiency with small watercraft, and those who already have proficiency with small watercraft gain an advantage on checks to navigate such craft through rough water.

3:30 – 5:00 Basic camouflage. 

Hunters and spies alike have plenty of reason not to be seen.

• Players who complete the workshop have an advantage on stealth checks to hide in the woods.

End of day 1

The first day ends with a cookout at the camp’s grand pavilion. There is a sense of good-natured camaraderie in the air as the conference attendees feast on cornbread, beans, grilled venison, guzzle beer, and cider. There is storytelling, improvised games, folk music, dancing, and laughter. 

However, it has become painfully apparent who the spies are and who is not. This sort of revelry comes easily to the outdoorsmen, and the wannabes flock around them. The spies, except the natives of the Silver Highlands, on the other hand, are displaying certain cultural eccentricities; Shamabalians are not eating meat, the Vinetaians are drinking wine, and the Dún Donaghans are sticking with goblinoids, etc. At the head of the pavilion is a Paxton Sr looking holding court with his good associates, the Máirtín and Fiachra Donnacha

A little Extracircular Lesson

The players are free to join the party and should be encouraged to do so. However, Kellan will approach them with a little proposition if they attend the party. Read the following.

One of Clara’s associates, Kellan, approaches you and says, “Hey pups, want to earn some extra credit?” He quickly checks the surroundings for watching eyes or listening ears before exhaling. “I just did a quick loop of the party, all the spies are here,” he says conspiratorially, “Which means their tents are unguarded. Go rifle through a few of the tents and see what you can find, and meet me by the trail up the mountain, you know, the one the organizers are not letting anybody near, in an hour. I can make it worth your time and effort if you do, I can talk to some of the higher-ups about making you full agents and maybe slip you a bottle of expense booze.”

If the players hesitate, Kellan calls them wusses and says it would be like a panty raid. In fact, this is a panty raid of a sort. When they agree, Kellan hands them a crudely drawn map of the camp with tents circled in black and leaves in the general direction of the ranger station. If they refuse, he goes off to investigate the ranger station.

The Panty Raid

Most convention attendees’ tents are in a small grove west of the meadow. There are dozens of tents, and a handful of toughs patrol the perimeter.

Toughs: There are eight toughs in total. They are all city slickers and not taking their job too seriously; they are humming the same drinking song to themselves, stopping for frequent smoke breaks, and generally being unprofessional. They patrol an area with plenty of cover from trees and tents, and stealth checks against their passive perception are made with advantage.

Tents: Kellan said the 16 marked tents are unoccupied and unguarded. The players can spend 5 minutes searching each tent for interesting items. Roll a d12 to determine what they find.

D12	find
1	Frilly women’s panties and assorted other women’s clothing
2	Nothing, in fact, this tent is too orderly.
3	These are lurid love letters written in the same handwriting to multiple women in multiple cities around the FeyGlimmer Sea.
4	A small arsenal of concealed weaponry, including boots with knives in them, tent rope garrotes, and a blowpipe in  a walking stick
5	A journal with 1d6 embarrassing secrets
6	The sort of contraband that would get you arrested in Sliberberg
7	A chest full of disguises that consist primarily of sunglasses, blatantly fake mustaches, and wigs
8	A map identical to one Kellan gave the players, except this tent is not marked, and  the player’s tent has a big circle around it
9	A journal containing the secrets of at least a dozen people, seemingly all attendees
10	Sealed orders containing orders to assassinate a particular spy, including a sketch of the target
11	Poison, lots of poison, every form of poison listed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide
12	A scoped siege arbalest, bolts missing

For each tent searched, roll on the complication table

D8	complication
1	A tough patrol passes too close to the tent for comfort
2	A sober spy returns to the tent while the players are mid-search
3	The tent is not unoccupied, and the occupants, two spies from different countries, are mid lovemaking
4	A drunk spy returns to the tent while the players are mid-search
5	Somebody left a loaded small bear trap among their possessions. Unless a player succeeds on a DC eight passive perception, they are going to get 1d4 piercing damage
6	The players come across a rival group of 1d4 spies who have decided to search the same tent.
7	A good Samaritan nonspy heading back from the outhouses decided to cut through the campgrounds and spotted the players, and was about to tell one of the patrolling thugs
8	One of the toughs is also a thief and has a bag of 1d4*100 gp of stolen goods.

The end of the fun and games

After the players find something that will pique Kellan’s interest, it’s off to the rendezvous with Kellan, who has struck terrifying paydirt at the ranger station. The players arrive just in time to witness his demise. Read the following.

You are nearly at the point Kellan specified when you hear yelling, branches breaking, and crossbow bolts whizzing. In the moonlight, you see a human shape burst through the underbrush and suddenly stumble forward with two large bolts sticking out of its back. 

A dozen armed men, led by a scarred brute, and two satyrs approach the body from multiple directions, some from the direction the man ran from and some from the campground. 

The armed men panic upon seeing the body. One hits the fallen man with his mace before the group calms to low-key panic.

The satyrs order them to lower their voices so that they don’t give away the game. They step away and start calmly talking in a whisper. You can just make out some bits and pieces of each group’s conversations.

Group of People: The group consists of Máirtín, Fiachra, two tough bosses, and the 12 toughs guarding the ranger station.

• Between Máirtín, Fiachra, and their men, the fight is medium difficulty for an average cr 9 party, aka suicidal for the expected cr 5 party for which this adventure is built. If they do try to fight, the adventure segways to them waking up bound and gagged in the basement of the ranger station with an interrogation in their future.
• If the players stay where they are, they can remain unseen. If they want to get closer, have them make a DC 18 stealth check. Successing drops the DC for the perception checks to hear the conversation by 3, allowing them to see that the body is Kellan’s. On failure, 8 of the toughs break off to sweep the area.

Conversations: The players are too far away to hear the whole conversation the groups are having, but they can hear bits and pieces of the thugs’ conversation.

• The toughs are freaking out and barely able to keep their voices down.
  • They are speculating about who else knows about their base.
  • They are also wondering if they should relocate.
    • There is a 1 in 8 chance that one of the thugs reveals that their base is the ranger station.
• If the players succeed on a DC 15 Perception check to listen in on the two saytre’s conversation, they determine that the two satyr master minds are Máirtín and Fiachra.
• If the players succeed at DC 18 perception checks, learn the same as the previous bullet point and they can catch several bits of the two associates’ conversation.
  • They plan to dump the body by the river… bridge …
  • It should be found by morning…
  • They will get their druid to … owlbear…
  • The obvious  … spies paranoid…
  • It will take only a few more pushes… before the …
  • They will bring back up to watch the … deal with … spies…

After a few minutes, the group splits, the satyrs head back to the camp, most of the thugs head back up the mountain, and two pick up the body and start heading towards the river. Encourage the players to follow the groups of thugs, especially if they have to split up.

Body dump

The thugs heading to the river are making plenty of noise; they are talking to each other about bets on which spy would be the first to go (they had lost money on the bet) and seemingly snapping every branch on the path, so there is no need for a stealth check as long as the players do not get close. After about 15 minutes of hiking through the woods, the thugs reach the suspension bridge over the river and dump the body into the rocky shore below before marching off down the path back to the camp.

Body: The body is obviously Kellan’s, with a big dent in his head, a lot of vegetation in his shoes, and two arrow wounds in his back.

• A DC 12 Medicine reveals that the dent was made with a mace, and he has sustained multiple scratches from running through the forest.
• A search of the body reveals nothing of immediate use to the players, but they can find some suspicious plant matter crushed in the treads of his boots.
  • A DC 14 nature check reveals that the plants are a mix of eastern hemlock needles and several other leaves and plants.
    • This is not immediately useful for the players, but if they ask one of the Paxtons about it, they can point the players towards the eastern hemlock grove around the ranger station.

Moonlight Nature Hike

The tough bosses and the 10 toughs are hiking up the mountain. They approach the blocked path and head up the hill towards the ranger station. The players must make a group DC 10 stealth check to avoid being noticed by the toughs; otherwise, the toughs will stop and quickly search the area and engage the players if they spot them.
If the players avoid notice, the goons lead the players straight to the ranger station.

 Clara and Carl in the haze

After following the groups of thugs and confirming that Kellan is dead, the players’ first instinct will likely be to tell Clara about Kellan’s demise. If they race back to the central pavilion, they find the party winding down, and most of the revelers have passed out or are returning to the tents to pass out in relative comfort. Clara and Carl are among them, slumped over a picnic table, face down in puddles of ale.
Both spies are talking in their sleep. Clara seems to be dreaming about taking her children on a hike and alternating between using her kids’ names and the players’ names. Carl’s dream appears to be him lovingly oiling a crossbow, and his words make the act seem somewhat erotic. Both are blacked out drunk and will be like that until the next morning.

Day 2

The body is discovered.

The results are the same regardless of whether the players witness Kellan’s death or not. At the crack of dawn, Paxton Jr. finds the body on his way to work on fixing the bridge. The sight of the dead body makes him freak out, and he immediately goes to get his father. After Paxton Sr gets involved, it’s not long before everybody in the camp knows about the death. Read the following

You awake to the camp in an uproar. Everybody is going to the pavilion where the cookout was held the night before. A massive, noisy crowd has gathered and is nervously exchanging worried remarks. Paxton Sr is standing on a soapbox trying to urge the crowd to calm down.

Read the following if the players force their way through the crowd.

On the pavilion floor is Kellan’s dead body, half covered by a sheet. Clara is crying over Kellan’s body and wailing about not being able to go on without her husband. A druid is doing his best to comfort her. Nearby, Paxton Jr. is sitting on one of the picnic tables, looking as white as a sheet, and Paxton Sr. is barely holding it together better than his son as he makes his decrees from his soapbox.

Reading the room: If the players make Insights checks to read the room, they learn the following

• An DC 8 insight check reveals that Paxton Sr is genuinely spooked by the death of one of the convention attendees. He is trying to keep it hidden, but it slips out here and there.
• Paxton Jr is freaking out; no insight check is required to figure that out
•  A DC 12 insight check reveals that Clara’s grief is a mediocre act, but nobody can catch it with most people here hungover.
• A DC 16 insight check to read the crowd’s reaction reveals that all the spies are panicking at the sight of one of the attendees being found dead and worrying they will be next.
• A DC 10 insight check reveals the druid is nervous and really would like to get away from the crowd.

Looking around: If the players use perception checks to look around they notice the following

• A DC 12 perception check reveals that Máirtín and Fiachra are nowhere to be seen, despite everybody else being here.

A lesson in investigation or a reverse briefing

Once the crowd gets over its morbid curiosity, it disperses seeking breakfast, leaving Clara and likely the players alone with the body. Read the following

The Paxtons and the gawkers have had their fill of this morning’s morbid revelation; they peel off in groups of two to four, seeking breakfast and black coffee. Only Clara and Kellan’s corpse remain. Once everybody else is out of earshot, she drops her handkerchief, straightens her posture, and smirks at you. “How was my performance?” she says, “It’s hard to play a convincing grieving widow when you feel like a giant is pounding against your skull, but I think I did alright.”

Clara: Clara waves the players over to take a better look at the body

• If the players ask, she reveals that Kellan is not her husband, but it was a convenient lie to get access to the body.
• She states that the druid announced his death as the result of an owlbear attack, followed by falling off the bridge. She does not buy it and asks for the players’ assessment of the injuries. If they need help, she points out the injuries for them.
  • If the players want to interrogate the druid, they find he is gone.
    • If they make a DC 15 Perception check, they will spot him heading up the trail up the mountain on the other side of the meadow.
• She congratulates her pups on their sharp eyes if the players get it right. Yes, Kellan was attacked; he was shot with crossbow bolts and finished off with a mace. It’s a blatantly obvious cover-up.
  •  The question is where it happened and why. She is unfamiliar with the local terrain and does not know where the hemlock needles would come from. Maybe one of the locals knows. As for the why, she guessed that Kellan was out snooping and stuck his nose into somewhere he was not supposed to be
  • She cannot look into the matter and urges the players to do so. She tells them to find her once they find out what’s happening.

Corpse: The waterlogged and badly mauled corpse of Kellan

• A DC 10 medicine check reveals that the injuries on Kellan’s back are not from an owlbear attack. It looks like he was shot with crossbow bolts.
• A DC 15 medicine check reveals that the caved-in part of his head looks like it was made with a mace.
• A DC-8 medicine check can be used to determine that he died last night (if they did not witness the death firsthand)
• They can check the same nature as in Body Dump to determine the type of plant matter stuck in Kellan’s boots.

A recounting of last night: if the players recount what they witnessed last night. Clara is visibly shaken. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she says, “What was Kellan doing in the woods, and why would they kill him? I have a bunch of workshops and panels to run. Can you look into this for me? I think our lives may depend on it. ”

• If the players agree, she tells them to find her once they find any evidence of who is behind the murder.

Crazy but True Sounding Rumors

After Kellan’s body was found, all the spies are on edge and their eyes are darting around as they move through the camp. In the absence of solid information, rumors are flying. They are all mostly wrong, of course, but a subject of many of them is that the event security will not allow attendees near the path up the mountain, claiming there is an alpha owlbear up there.  When the players are around spies, they overhear one of these crazy stories.

d8	Crazy rumor
1	A spy swears Kellan died over an affair — someone’s girl, someone’s knife.
2	Clara killed her husband in a quarrel, and now cries to cover it up.
3	Another spy cell plans to assassinate everyone here
4	A werewolf stalks these hills — Kellan was its prey.
5	The Paxtons are setting us up to be picked off one by one.
6	A lich lairs nearby — and this is its doing.
7	This whole “convention” is a front: nobles hunt us for sport from the ranger station.
8	Paxton’s satyr “associates” and their hired thugs are plotting something.

Even more Ominous Events

After the body is found, it is even clearer that something is off at the convention as the Manyrevel associate goons start to put their master’s plan into action to turn the spies against each other and start killing each other. When you feel like it’s time to up the paranoia roll for one of the following ominous events

d8	Ominous Event
1	The players witness a few of the toughs working security seemingly help a sick person into the woods
2	The players spot one of the spies looking for a friend who has gone missing
3	They hear a crossbow bolt thwack too close to them for comfort
4	They witness a heated argument between two groups of spies
5	They spot the tough, eyeing them as though they were sizing them up
6	There is an accident at one of the other events
7	There is a mass outbreak of food poisoning
8	They witness a group of toughs carry what looks like a body up the trail to the ranger station.

Events

9:00 – 16:00 Fly-fishing tournaments

Nothing malicious seeming here, just an ordinary fishing tournament being held all day

• Use the fishing mini game of your choice. If the players meet a win condition, you define that they win a medal worth 20gp

9:00 – 10:20 Wilderness catalog workshop

A workshop identifying various creatures of the Sliber highlands, emphasizing the dangerous ones and how to tell them apart from human tracks

• Players who attend the panel gain an advantage on nature checks, which involve identifying tracks, trails, and paths of both beasts and humans.

10:00 – 11:30 Editable flora of the Silver Highlands

An introduction to which berries, roots, and mushrooms will not poison you

• Players who attend the panel can forage 1d6 rations from woodland terrain

10:00 – 11:00 Knife and ax-throwing tutorials and competition. 

Professional instruction on knife and ax throwing is helpful for those who need an improvised weapon in a pinch, such as hunters and spies whose cover gets blown.

• Any player who takes the course gets proficiency in throwing knives and hatchets.
• Players can also attempt an AC 14 attack against a wooden target. If they can hit the bullseye, they get a 2 GP gift certificate to the general store.

11:00 – 12:00 Basic field medicine.

Basic first aid for hunters, trappers, and outdoorsmen

• Players who attend the workshop gain proficiency with healer’s kits

11:00 – 12:30 Field Dressing Game

The basics of butchering and dressing game animals

• Any players who complete this workshop can, when they go hunting, acquire 1d4 extra rations from successful hunting

1:00 – 2:45 Panel on hunting and stalking techniques

Clara cohosts a panel on techniques for stalking prey through the woods, with a heavy but covert emphasis on stalking intelligent creatures.

• Players who attend the workshop gain advantage on stealth checks to stalk intelligent creatures through the woods.

1:00 – 2:30 Improvising traps

Supposedly a workshop for would-be trappers, really a workshop for creating booby traps.

• Players who attend the workshop can take 30 minutes to create a basic snare, pitfall, or spiked branch trap. The DM determines the trap’s effects and damage.

2:00 – 4:00 Canoe race

A white water canoe race down the river for a small prize

• To participate in the race, the players involved need to make 3 out of 6 checks  for small boats against the following obstacles
  • Calm water: Dc 8
  • small rapids: DC 10
  • Raging water DC18
  • Choppy waters DC 14
  • Small rapids DC 10
  • Briskly flowing water dc 9
• The prize is a 20gp gift certificate good at half a dozen well-known outfitters in Sliberberg.

2:00 – 3:30 Creating hunting blinds

Clara teaches this course on creating disguised structures, covering much more than hunting blinds.

• Players who attend the panel can take 30 minutes to disguise their campsite. Random encounters need to make a DC 17 perception check to spot the players’ camp, or they will simply walk on by.

3:00 – 5:00 Long-term survival in the Sliber Highlands

Clara teaches this workshop, which covers creating shelter, concealment, and food procurement out in the wild. It is helpful for both outdoorsmen, scouts, and spies.

• The players gain an advantage in checks made to create shelter and other survival tasks in the wilderness. 

Getting to the Truth of the Matter

It should be clear to the players that something nefarious is happening at the convention and that the event organizers have something to do with it. The only solid clues they have are that Kellan was running from the general direction of the ranger station, the Donnacha cousins and the event staff are involved  (both clues they need to witness Kellan’s death to know), and the Eastern Hemlock needles on his boots are pine needles that do not match any of the oak and maple trees nearby.

Finding the source

The players’ first order of business is to find where Kellan was killed if they did not witness the death or where he was coming from, if they had seen the death and did not put the pieces together. 

The Hemlock needles: Any reasonably proficient outdoorsman can identify the needles as eastern hemlock; however, none of the out-of-towners has seen a strand of white hemlock around here. The players’ best bet for determining where the needles come from is one of the Paxtons.

• Paxton Sr: Since the discovery of last night’s tragic death, he is attached to the Donnacha cousins by the hip, who are making sure he remains ignorant of what’s really going on. If the players have identified the needles, he can point out a strand of eastern hemlock trees up the mountain around the ranger station; however, he would not recommend going up there, as something nasty called an owl bear is lairing in the structure.
  • However, once the players leave, Máirtín will use his conference stone to send a message to his men to eliminate the players before they make it to the ranger station. The ambush consists of a pair of tough bosses and five thugs.
• Paxton Jr: Junior decided to take the rest of the day off after finding the body. The players find him at his cabin, sitting on the steps in a ball. He is still pretty freaked out about finding the body and struggling to process it, and will not stop jabbering about it.
  • It will take a DC 8 insight check to determine what’s wrong with him and a DC 14 persuasion check to calm him down. Afterward, he tells the players about the big strand of hemlock up the mountain around the ranger station. He rambles about how Pa’s friends with the horns say something big with a nasty beak and big claws has moved into the ranger station, and nobody goes up there anymore.

Searching the forest: Alternatively, the players can search the forest for the murder scene or the trail left by last night’s chase. The Donnacha goons have not bothered to cover up the trails or the murder site because they believe their leader’s plan will cause all the spies to turn on each other before they even think to suspect them; they did not even bother to retrieve the crossbow bolts from the chase. 

• The players can find the trail by making a DC 13 Perception or Nature check to comb the woods until they find the trail of blood, crossbow bolts, and ripped and torn fabric leading up the mountain. Once they find the trail, the players can follow it back to the ranger station without making further checks.

Ranger station Echo

Time and nature have not been kind to Ranger Station Echo. The fact that there is an owlbear-sized hole in the wall, a lot of loose feathers, and three clawed tracks in the general vicinity makes it look even more forlorn and uninviting. Of course, there is no owlbear; the  Donnacha goons created the hole and tracks and left the feathers to create a nice secluded spot where they can run the operation with decent shelter. If the players want to get to the bottom of this, that’s where they need to go.

However, their adversaries know that the game is up if anyone discovers what’s happening at the ranger station. After last night’s unexpected visitor, the Donnacha cousins are not taking any chances. They have doubled the manpower around the cabin, including a force of bugbear trappers lurking in the woods along the trail, and heavy-hitting mercenary berserkers have replaced all but the toughest hired goons.

Regular Deposits: Every hour on the hour, a group of 4 toughs heads up the trail to the ranger station with 1d4*100 gp worth of various coins from bribes, vendor fees, and lost bets to deposit in the safe. They expect the patrols around the building and the goons in the main room. If these are absent, they investigate looking for intruders.

Conference stones: The tough bosses have magic items called conference stones, which allow them to talk to everybody else with a conference stone in the network, just like a walkie-talkie. In any given turn in combat, there is a 1 in 8 chance (1 on a d8) that a tough will use an action to use his conference stone to call for reinforcements. If only half the goons at the ranger station remain, this check is made twice per turn. If a call for reinforcements is made within the next 15 minutes, a force of 1d4 tough bosses, 1d8 beserkers, and 1d20 toughs led by one of the cousins arrives at the station to secure the money and deal with the intruders.

Path

A long, winding, and slightly overgrown trail through the woods.

• About halfway up the trail, three bugbear stalkers and two bugbear warriors are waiting in ambush for any non-Donnachas. 
• They will try to surprise the party, making stealth checks against the players’ passive perception. Two of the stalkers will try to use their quick grapple bonus actions to fling spellcasters players into the woods so that they and the bugbear warriors can deal with them first. The third bugbear stalker and the two bugbear warriors attack from behind the players before slinking back into the thicket to ambush the players again.

Hemlock Strand

This part of the mountain is covered by a dense strand of young and adolescent hemlock pines and brush, leaving barely any route to walk without lifting a branch.

The brush and trees around the station are thick; the players can make stealth checks with the advantage of hiding and moving without being noticed.

Clearing 

In the middle of the forest, about halfway up the mountain, is a small clearing with a few structures, a large log cabin, a wood shed, and an outhouse. Tough-looking characters with battleaxes, hand crossbows, and warhammers patrol the perimeter of the clearing.

• The clearing contains a tough boss, 2 berserkers, and two spies
• Combat in the clearing draws the attention of the Manyrevel operative in the outhouse and the groups in the cabin. The man in the outhouse will join combat in 1 round, the goons in the kitchen and main room in 2, and the goons in the loft in 3 rounds.

Treasure. The goons carry 16gp on their persons and a conference stone from the Donnacha Syndicate goon conference stone network.

The hole

There is a large, ragged hole in the cabin’s wall. In the gloom beyond the smashed furniture, three clawed tracks lead to and from the hole.

The hole is not real; the removed section of the wall is real, but everything beyond the hole is fake. The Donnachas’ goons boarded up the hole weeks ago and painted the wood to look like the hole. Close inspection or a DC 14 perception check reveals the deception.

Claw marks: A character who succeeds on a DC 12 nature check deduces that the claw marks are not real but were made by men with stamps.

Main room

The room is moderately sized but cozy, with a roaring fire and a painted-over window. A shelf with some books is in the corner. Three shady characters are sitting at the table, looking over sheets of paper.

Shady characters: Shady characters are two tough bosses and a spy. They attack the moment they notice the players.

• If the players succeed on a stealth check against the operatives’ passive perception, they overhear them speculating on who will be killed by whom once everything hits the windmill tomorrow. One of them mentions one of the player’s aliases by name.
• The goons know the combination to the safe in the basement; they will not reveal the combination unless tortured. 

Hatch: There is a hatch to the basement under the stairs. A 10-minute search of the room reveals the hatch.

Stairs: The stairs lead up to the loft

Papers: The loose papers are full of calculations and shorthand.

• The characters can attempt a DC 12 Intelligence check to deduce that the papers are written in Donnacha Syndicate shorthand and the calculations are gambling probabilities. 
• Alternatively, they can bring the papers to Clara, who immediately recognizes the shorthand due to having gone on a mission in Manyrevel a few months back.

Bookcase: There are books on naturalism, a few paperback novels, and a few leatherbound ledgers.

• The naturalism books are from our world and detail the ecology of northern Vermont.
• The novels are mostly cheap 50-cp novels that one can find in any bookstore along the FeyGlimmer sea.
• The ledgers are records of the setup of the convention and the ongoing gambling operation.
  • Among the information, the players can find the calculated odds of them being killed by various agents in the ledger. To decipher the ledgers requires the same intelligence check as before.

Window: The window is big enough to climb through and has been painted black.

Treasure: The players can find 20gp in loose change among the operatives, and a conference stone from the Donnacha Syndicate goon conference stone network.

Loft

The dark loft at the top of the stairs serves as a bedroom. It contained cots with sleeping bags and foot lockers. A window let in a solitary beam of light. Two of the cots had sleeping forms wrapped in blankets.

Cots: There are six cots in total. 

• Two are occupied
• A dozen sleeping bags are stacked against the wall.

Occupied beds: A single berserker and the druid from earlier sleep in the beds. If they hear combat outside or downstairs, they join the combat after 1 round.

Footlockers: The six lockers are not locked and contain spare armor, weapons, and small toiletry items. Many of the items have Donnacha and Manyrevel insignia on them. The combined contents of all the foot lockers are worth 50gp.

Window: The window in the northern wall is 35 inches by 36 inches and glazed with glass. It slides up in its frame to open and can easily be climbed through when opened; it is not locked.

The Basement

This dark, dank basement. There is a musty smell in the air. A workbench is on one side of the room and a safe on the other.

If the players are captured, they are knocked out and awake 1d4 hours later, tied up against the wall.

Safe: a hefty blocky safe sits in a corner of the room

• Unlocking the safe requires a DC 18 Sleight of Hand check or a DC 18 Strength check, assuming the players have crowbars and are willing to make enough noise to alert everybody in the cabin
• The safe contains 1800gp coins, 6 25gp small art objects serving as collateral for bets, an amulet of health, and several letters containing orders from the Donnacha cousins and several higher-ranking syndicate members. The orders reveal the entire truth of the Donnacha cousins’ operation. 

Workbench: A rustic workbench covered with rusting tools

• The bench includes a complete set of carpenter’s tools and tinker tools, all in need of repair

Kitchen

The room contains a rustic kitchen. A goon is working over a small camp pot on the fireplace while the two others sit at the table by the shelves and shuffle decks of cards, seemingly annoyed that their game has been halted.

There are 2 berserkers and a spy in the room. Combat in this room draws the attention of the goons in the main room.

Pot. The Pot contains boiling water and a few diced onions. A character can use an action to heave the pot’s contents at a person. The target enemy must make a Dex check, DC 12 or take 1d6 fire damage and be blinded for 1d4 rounds.

Shelves. The shelves have enough rations for 40 days.

Treasure. Between the goons and the table, 30gp in coins and a marked deck of cards.

Woodshed

A small lean-to sits by a small shack with a single door.

The shed is serving as a makeshift armory for the goons. There are 1d20 battleaxes, 1d20 sets of leather armor, five war hammers, 1d8 maces, and 200 crossbow bolts.

Outhouse

It is a wooden outhouse that smells like it’s still in use.

There is a spy in the outhouse who is suffering from diarrhea. 

Revelations and Consequences

If the players successfully raid the ranger station, encourage them to return to the convention and find Clara at one of her workshops. If the players have not put the clues together, she immediately understands that Donnacha is running a one-day-only cockfighting operation, and they and the rest of the convention goers are the roosters. They are trying to build up paranoia and suspicion between the spies so that they ultimately turn on each other and start killing each other. This would explain all the strange disappearances and near-miss accidents since the players went up the mountain. It’s only a matter of time before the convention explodes into violence.

The players now have to choose what to do. Will they try to stop tomorrow’s massacre before it begins, or get out of town? Clara will encourage the players to help her stop the Donnacha cousins from turning the convention into a bloodbath, but ultimately, it is the players’ choice what to do and how to do it.

Stopping the Bloodbath

The players have their work cut out for them if they want to prevent the bloodbath from happening. The Donnacha cousins are both fearsome opponents who can easily wipe the floor with the players if they fight together, and they still have a small army of thugs at their disposal. They will need a plan to get them out of their scheme. Ultimately, it is the player’s decision how to proceed, and you let them try anything that could have a chance of success. Some possible solutions to the problems the players might try are:

• Burning down the mountain: Between the cans of biofuel in the garage, the alcohol in the still, and lantern oil in the store, there are plenty of accelerants around town. Setting fire to the forest around the ranger station will cause the Donnacha cousins and their thugs to immediately drop everything and rush to save the money and the paperwork in the lair. If the players decide to fight the Cousins after the fire, they will have an easier time. Máirtín used his single cast of Cone of Cold and Fly to help fight back the fire, and both cousins are at 75% hit points. They could even potentially ambush the cousins during the fire, so they could pick them off one at a time.
• Booby trap or ambush: Ironically, the Donnachas’s having the convention fully functional could easily be their downfall. Between the training the players got from the workshops, the product at the vendors, and the supplies in the town and the camp, the players can easily rig up a booby trap or ambush against the cousins and their goons. Rigging up a booby trap will give the players a guaranteed surprise round, and depending on how the players design the trap, deal damage or deny the cousins their though bodyguards.
• Arm the spies: The general store has six rifles and 500 rounds of ammo. If the players could arm some sharpshooters with them, it would make the fight against the cousins easier. Clara’s associate Carl would especially be helpful with a rifle in hand. He makes all his shots with advantage on attack rolls. On Initiative 20, during each round of combat, the players’ sharpshooters make a single attack roll against the highest AC enemy, and each makes a damage roll targeting a different enemy.
• Publicly reveal the Deception: The players can reveal the Donnachas’ plot to the spies. They can either reveal it piecemeal to each spy they come across or publicly denounce them. If they do it piecemeal, they must make a DC 14 persuasion check to convince the spy. If a spy is convinced there is a 50/50 chance that the spy will leave the convention. If the spy decides to stay, add 1d4 allied spies to the final battle. If the players reveal the deception publicly, likely once the next batch of bodies is uncovered, they must make a DC 18 persuasion check. If they succeed, the convention descends into a melee as spies start attacking the Donnachas’ cousins’ goons, and the combat against the cousins starts with the bodyguards surrounding the pair absent.

Payback Time

Regardless of what the players do, the Donnachas will not live and let live. Máirtín, Fiachra, a tough boss, and their two bugbear warrior bodyguards (add two more bugbear warriors if Clara and Carl join the fight)  will attack and try to kill the players. The players will have  Clara and Carl’s support and any other NPCs they manage to rally to their side. There is no set arena for this fight, which could happen anywhere in the town, the camp, or the mountain.

Get out of Dodge

Given what is happening, it is surprisingly easy to leave Paxton’s crossing. The Donnacha syndicate goons are more concerned about stoking the flames than keeping anybody from slipping out of town. The players can make a DC 15 group stealth check to slip out of town unnoticed.

• However, Clara and Carl will not leave, instead choosing to confront the cousins. The DM can decide whether or not they are successful, but if they fail, they will almost certainly be killed.
  • Clara will give the players her report on the convention, which she will give to her higher-ups. She will also include a note saying that the players should be rewarded for helping her and a letter to be delivered to her family in case of her death.
• If the players fail the skill check, some spies notice their departure. If any spies survive the massacre, they will remember seeing the players leaving, assume they were somehow involved, and seek revenge.

Escalation Unimpeded

If the players do not interfere with Donnacha’s plans, things will get out of hand by the end of the second day as the psych-op starts to ratchet into full gear. During dinner, while almost everybody is eating, Donnacha syndicate goons began to arrange the bodies of spies who went missing earlier in the day around the camp in small scenes that suggest other spies killed them, knowing full well that when they are discovered, it will bring the paranoia the spies are already experiencing to a full boil. Once the final push is made tomorrow morning, the killing will start.

The Bodies Start Dropping.

During dinner, the dead body of another spy is found, this time pinned to a tree with a crossbow bolt in his chest. Read the following

There is a cry of alarm off in the distance, and a tide of people heading towards a spot near the edge of the woods. Tide breaks around a tree with a dead body slumped against it, a single crossbow bolt pinning it to the wall. There are murmurs of panic all around you.

Before the players can get to grips with this revelation, they hear even more screams and exclamations as people find more dead bodies. The whole crowd is on the verge of panic when a shotgun blast echoes through the air. Paxton Senior has fired a homemade blank to get a handle on the situation. He orders all the convention participants to go back to their tents and cabins while the organizers investigate the bodies. Anyone who refuses will be assumed to be a perpetrator and will receive a belly full of rifle bullets. The crowd and players will be herded back towards the tents. The players can make a DC 20 group stealth check to try to slip through the cordon; however, if they fail, they are followed by a group of Donnacha syndicate goons led by a tough boss looking for them to enter a dark and secluded spot where the goons can ambush the party in privacy.

Things come to a head.

The final stage of the Cousins plan starts just before the sun rises. To give that final push that will spiral the convention into a bloodbath, Donnacha syndicate goons begin to roam around the campground being loud, shooting crossbow bolts into and setting fire to tents, including the players’ tent. Once the players have extricated themselves from the tent, read the following.

Outside, it is pure chaos. Multiple tents are burning, and fights have broken out between groups of convention goers. A group of spies with daggers drawn and scowls approach, intent on driving their knives into your bellies.

Burning tents: Any creature that starts its turn in the same space as a burning tent takes 1d4 fire damage.

The melee: The players are attacked by 1d10 spies.

• Every second round, another 1d10 spies arrive
• The spies target a random creature in the melee as per the confusion spell
• The melee continues for 12 rounds or the players try to flee, whichever comes first

Run For It

The previous encounter should make it clear that there is no end to the attackers, and their only real chance to survive is to get out of town as fast as possible. Seemingly clarifying that fact, Clara and Carl throw smoke bombs into the melee. Clara shouted, “Follow me, pups, and put some tail into it!” before sprinting around the melee toward the Paxtons’ complex.
The melee is confined to the meadow, and the players are standing in a relative lull in the fighting, but that won’t last long. They must book it now if they don’t want to get worn down by constant fighting and eventually succumb to their wounds. However, the road out of town and the horses are over 100 yards away from where they are now, and there are plenty of obstacles between the players and safety. The encounter plays out like a chase per the DMG rules, but with a fixed set of obstacles the players must overcome. As always, the checks and DC are merely suggestions, and creative solutions are to be rewarded.

1. Burning tents: The first 70 feet are burning tents and other debris. DC 13 Dex save to weave through the burning wreckage, or their speed is reduced by 10 ft. this round as they are forced to find a safe way around.
2. Another Melee: After the burning tents, the player’s path is blocked by another melee, a blob of a fight, 50 feet wide. DC 14 Strength (Athletics) to shove through, or DC 14 Dex (Acrobatics) to slip past. Failure costs 1 round of movement.
3. The panicked crowd: Dozens of terrified spies and convention-goers surge through the camp towards the town, shoving and clawing to get away. There is no avoiding the sea of bodies, and speed is reduced by half this round unless they find a way to disperse the crowd.
4. Rifle fire: Paxton Sr has fortified himself in his store and is taking pot shots at anybody who gets close to his store with his rifle. Once the players are 100 feet from the stable, they must make a DC 13 Dex check on each round, or else, a random character will take 1d10 damage and have their speed reduced by 10 feet. Alternatively, they can find cover to 

The advancing melee. As the players flee, the main melee slowly creeps towards the village, advancing roughly 25 feet per round. Any creature stuck in the melee takes 1d8 damage and has its speed halved.

One last fight

As you sprint towards the stable, you can see Clara and Carl holding the reins of nervous-looking horses in the gloom of the stable interior. You are mere feet from the stable entrance when a bolt thuds into the wood inches before you. “That’s far enough, you two-timing, cowardly, bastards,” says a low and sinister voice. A man in a hooded cloak, wielding a crossbow and 6 “outdoorsmen” with a hand crossbow drawn and leveled at you. They will not let you pass without a fight.

An assassin and 6 spies, crazed with paranoia, have ambushed the players with the intent of killing them. They do not seem to notice that there are people in the stable.

Clara: Clara jumps into the fight on the second round after she has had time to hitch the horses

Carl: Carl joins the fight in the third round after he hitches horses

After the Convention

If the Players Prevented the Bloodbath (Quiet Success)

If the Cousins were quietly dealt with, the Donnacha Syndicate goons melt away in ones and twos during the second night. The rest of the convention goes off without a hitch.

Rumors ripple through the spies about Kellan’s death and the other spy’s death. Most agree they uncovered a secret operation at the convention, though the details shift wildly depending on the teller. Either way, this will be the last spy convention held at Paxton’s Crossing.

Ironically, the Paxton’s Crossing Outdoorsmen Jamboree is hailed as a success. Paxton Sr. announces plans to expand the event next year, with reputable hunting clubs and outfitters sponsoring it. Clara is even invited back as an instructor, and the following year’s jamboree proceeds without incident.

If the Players Publicly Outed the Plot

After the fighting ends and the Syndicate is crushed, the convention collapses in chaos. The convention attendees scatter, leaving Paxton Sr. stunned and heartbroken.

Clara, feeling some pity for him, promises to connect the Paxtons with her “Cousin Freddy.” A week later, King Fredrick von Mountainheart arrives with an entourage, expecting to find a hunting lodge in the hamlet. The Paxtons scramble to host him at the camp, and the king enjoys himself so much that he commissions a lodge nearby.

Word spreads quickly: the King of New Mountainheart has a vacation home in the area. Within months, Paxton’s Crossing becomes the fashionable retreat for nobles seeking wilderness sport, and the Paxtons’ fortunes soar higher than they ever dreamed.

If the Bloodbath Happened

When the dust settles, only a quarter of the attendees remain. They scatter before anyone thinks to raise a posse.

The survivors of Paxton’s Crossing gather to bury the bodies in the meadow. Depending on how the players acted:

• If they failed to help the Sliberbergians escape, Carl lies among the dead, and Clara flees town mortally wounded, never seen again.
  
• If they did intervene, Clara and Carl would survive, but barely.
  

Word spreads quickly of the massacre. Paxton’s Crossing limps on as little more than a roadside hamlet with an inn and general store where no one lingers more than a night. A few hunters still come, but Paxton Sr.’s dream of a hospitality empire dies slowly and quietly.

---

Rewards

Regardless of the outcome, if the players successfully disrupted the Donnacha Syndicate’s plot, Clara rewards them with a letter of introduction to the Eyes of the Wolf. This can be cashed in for one of the following:

• A favor from the agency
  
• 500 gp
  
• A letter of introduction to King Fredrick
  
• A rare magic item

Appendix A: New Magic Item

Conference stone

Wondrous item rare

An upgraded form of sending stones, conference stones come in linked groups of 4 to 16. As an action, a creature can speak a message of no more than 30 words into one of the stones. Every other creature with one of the stones in the group within a half radius of the user can hear the spoken message through their own stone.

Only one speaker can be clearly heard at a time. If two or more creatures attempt to speak simultaneously, the words overlap into an incomprehensible jumble unless the listener makes a DC 15 Insight check to determine the meaning.

Appendix B Stat Blocks

Carl

Small halfling, lawful good

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• Armor Class 13 (studded leather)
• Hit Points 18 (4d8 + 0)
• Speed 25 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (–1)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)

---

• Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +3
• Skills Acrobatics +5, Stealth +7, Perception +3, Investigation +3
• Senses passive Perception 13
• Languages Common, Halfling
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)

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Sneak Attack (Spy). Carl deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Carl that isn’t incapacitated and Carl doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Nimble Escape. Carl can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Skirmisher. When a creature ends its turn within 5 feet of Carl, he can move up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Lucky. When Carl rolls a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, he can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Actions

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Crossbow, heavy. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage

Clara

Medium elf, lawful good

---

• Armor Class 14 (leather)
• Hit Points 24 (6d5 + 6)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	13 (+1)

---

• Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4
• Skills Nature +4, Survival +6, Perception +6, Stealth +5
• Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 16
• Languages Common, Elvish
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

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Fey Ancestry. the clara has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put the clara to sleep.

Favored Enemy (Spies).. Clara has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track spies and on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.

Natural Explorer (Forests).. Clara and her allies ignore difficult terrain from natural foliage in forests.

Innate Spellcasting. The clara’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 10, +2 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

2/day: hunter’s mark, ensnaring strike, cure wounds

Actions

Multiattack. Clara makes two attacks with her Longsword or Longbow.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) slashing damage, or 5 (1d10) slashing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.

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Fiachra Donnacha

Medium fey, lawful evil

---

• Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
• Hit Points 82 (15d6 + 30)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)

---

• Skills Acrobatics +7, Stealth +5, Perception +5
• Damage Resistances poison
• Senses passive Perception 15
• Languages Common, Sylvan
• Challenge 4 (1100 XP)

---

Evasion. If the fiachra donnacha is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the fiachra donnacha instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.

Magic Resistance. the fiachra donnacha has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. Fiachra can make two attacks, using shortsword or light crossbow

Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature Fiachra pushes the target up to 10 feet straight away from itself

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 17 (5d6) poison damage.

Crossbow, light. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage.

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Máirtín Donnacha

Medium fey, lawful evil

---

• Armor Class 15
• Hit Points 82 (15d8 + 15)
• Speed 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	18 (+4)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)

---

• Skills Arcana +6, Perception +4, Acrobatics +7
• Senses passive Perception 14
• Languages Common, Sylvan
• Challenge 6 (2300 XP)

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Innate Spellcasting. Máirtín Donnacha’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: light, mage armor, mage hand, prestidigitation, vicious mockery 2/day: invisibility, major image 1/day: cone of cold, fly

Magic Resistance. the máirtín donnacha has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Arcane Burst. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 120., one target. Hit: 7 (3d3 + 1) force damage in melee, or 14 (3d8 + 1) force damage at range.

Multiattack. Máirtín makes three Arcane Burst attacks

Reactions

Misty Step(3/day). Máirtín casts Misty Step, using the same spell-casting ability as spell-casting